Dell Printer 920 Troubleshooting

By Ty Arthur

Overview

A multifunction machine such as the Dell 920 offers a user the ability to print, scan and make copies all in one location. Like all electronic equipment it can go on the fritz on occasion. so it is important to know what sort of troubleshooting steps you can complete on your own before resorting to calling customer service or taking the machine back to the store.

Dell Printer 920 Troubleshooting

Step 1

Make sure that the printer's power cord is plugged in, the USB cable is connected from the printer to the computer and that there are ink cartridges inside the printer before proceeding to additional troubleshooting steps. Check the back of the box that the printer came in to ensure that your computer meets its minimum system requirements and that you are running a compatible operating system.
Step 2

Re-boot your computer, unplug the printer's power cord and plug it back in and then attempt to print or scan an image in case the printer stopped communicating with the computer. Plug the power cord into a different outlet if the printer isn't responding at all to make sure your outlet isn't bad.

Step 3

Access your computer's control panel through the Start menu and then choose the "Printers" option. Check to see if the Dell 920 is showing up in the list of installed printers and then choose the "Add Printer" option if it isn't there. Follow the on-screen instructions so that your computer will search for the printer.
Step 4

Uninstall the Dell printer software and then put the installation disc into your computer and reinstall it. Open your Web browser and navigate to Dell's official website. Download the latest version of the driver software for the 920 and attempt to use the printer again.
Step 5

Open the Dell printer software program and choose the option to run a self-cleaning. Open the top of the printer once the cleaning has finished and use a dry cloth to wipe off the encoding strip on the side of the ink cartridge holders. Close the printer and then choose the option in the Dell software to print a test alignment page.

Skill: Moderate
Ingredients:
Printer installation disc
Tip: Open the printer's top and make sure that there isn't a jammed piece of paper stuck inside the printer if the power is on but it still won't print.
Tip: Try removing the ink cartridges and then popping them back into the cartridge holder in case they were not installed properly.
Tip: If the printer still is not functioning after completing all of the troubleshooting steps, call Dell's customer service directly for further assistance.

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